The Art of Chanting: Mantra as A Tools for Connection, Healing & Joy

After just spending a weekend chanting with friends, I wanted to share with you some of the reasons I do this and the benefits, and ways you can bring mantra into your life. Mantra has been a large part of my life in the last decade and it has helped me on my path as a spiritual aspirant, teacher, and healer.

What is Mantra?

A mantra is a sacred chant or sound which is recited repetitively

Reciting mantra is a form of meditation; it helps calm the mind and can take you into an altered state of calm and peace.

Mantras are often recited a specific number of times.

For example, 108 – is a sacred number, (In Hindu 108 is said to be the wholeness of existence) and it is believed that there are 108 sacred texts known as the Upanishads (which explore, nature, truth, and consciousness).

The Buddhists say that there are 108 earthly desires that we need to overcome, and in Jainism, there are 108 virtues that we are here to learn how to embody.

In Ayurveda, there are 108 vital points in the body and the heart chakra (the energy centre of the heart) has 108 energy lines.

 54 which is half of this, equates to the 54 letters in the Hindu alphabet.

Numbers that go into 108 are also used, such as 3, 9,12, etc.

The Mala beads which many aspirants wear have either 54 or 108 beads and these can be used to count the mantra as it is recited.

However, my teacher Sri Sakthi Amma says that the number is not so important and that to start with our focus and intention is the most important thing. We can then sit and chant for a set amount of time.

Some Benefits of Mantra:

Calming the mind

Mantra calms the mind, by using specific words or sounds to focus on for prolonged periods.  The general noise of the mind falls away, and my experience is that my mind is gently soothed into a relaxed state, where it forgets to think about the hundreds of other things it can be preoccupied with.

This brings about better focus and clarity of the mind.  After chanting the mind is calmer and it is easier to focus at work, or on creative projects.

Connection to the Divine

Mantra helps us connect with the Divine. Repeating sacred words many times calls on that energy and brings it to us, perhaps as a way to become one with the divine and wake up the divine within. Below I give some examples of mantras I use to call on certain aspects of the divine, which help me daily.

Cultivating Patience

Mantra can help with cultivating patience. Sitting and chanting for prolonged periods can be challenging, but can also bring great states of bliss. Most days I chant for around 50 minutes however twice a year I chant with a group for 48 hours. I have written more about this below.

Healing the body mind and Spirit

The vibration of Mantra can heal the body mind and spirit.

We are vibrational beings, with more space than matter – and we vibrate.

When we are exposed to a mantra or recite a mantra this vibration can have a healing effect, and change our physiology.

There are specific Mantras for healing that are powerful.

Because mantra is very specific, gifted to us from the sages and used throughout ages, each sound is highly charged and powerful and when we chant Mantra, we change the vibration of each cell in our body.

Simply put, chanting Mantra makes us feel good.

Protection

Mantra can be used to call forward the protection and wisdom of enlightened beings. The Kundalini yogis often chant Wahe Guru, and Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo which calls forth the protection of all Gurus that have come before.

The Brahm Kavach Mantra

Last weekend (Mid-January 2024), around 40 people from all over the country gathered just outside Bristol, to chant the Brahm Kavach mantra for 48 hours solidly.

Chanting for 48 hours takes some commitment and courage. We can only transform the outside of us, that which we are willing to transform inside of us. Not only is it quite a challenge physically (sitting cross-legged for many hours), but it can also be a challenge mentally and emotionally. 

The Brahm Kavach is an ancient Sikh Mantra that calls forward the shakti (Divine feminine) and is worshiped as the sword. It calls forward protection in the form of the shield, and it is a very powerful Mantra and we have been blessed to have this mantra taught to us by Dr. Kamalroop Singh. It is a fairly long mantra to recite, and it was a challenge for me to learn it. This was the 6th time we have gathered to recite this Mantra together. 

I arrived after the Mantra had started, and as I drove to Bristol, I could feel the excitement and joy in my being.  We were seated in a large living room, with a beautiful fireplace.  The person leading the Mantra was sitting on a chair and held a sword, for 2 hours. They held this position with great reverence and then another member of the sangha (community) took over. The group sits and joins in the Mantra, sometimes playing instruments, sometimes resting, occasionally taking breaks for food or the bathroom, but for the majority of the time reciting the Mantra together. 

This is a powerful experience and one we believe changes us and the vibration of the earth. It was an honour to be included and participate. We will join together again around the summer solstice and I can’t wait.

Daily Mantra session on Zoom 

While 48 hours of continual mantra may not be for everybody! using mantra in your daily practice really helps the day get off to the best start.

I notice when I miss a day I feel slightly off. My daily practice gives me a sense of connection, a sense of being part of something bigger than myself, and I feel love in my heart and a joy in being alive.

4 years ago, at the start of the pandemic, Sri Sakthi Amma gifted a Kali Mantra to the world and asked that this be recited at 10 am in each country around the world.

I have been holding daily Zoom sessions since March 2020, and while at times it can feel like quite a commitment, the grace I have received from doing this has been amazing.

During these sessions, we do some breath work (pranayama) and then recite several Mantras, always including the Kali Mantra.

Ganesha Mantra – to remove obstacles

• Om Gum Ganapathi Namaha

Lakshmi Gayatri

• Om Mahadevvaicha Vidhmahe, Vishnu Pathnivaicha Dheemahe, Thanno Lakshmi Prachodavath.

Meaning Om, Let me meditate on the greatest goddess, Oh, wife of Lord Vishnu, give me higher intellect, and let Goddess Lakshmi illuminate my mind.

This is followed by 20 minutes of Kal Mantra – with a focus of sending positive energy to all those sick or suffering in the world

• Om Kreem, Maha Kali, Sarva Roogum, Nasi Nasi

The Mantra sessions are at 7 am most weekday mornings. They are open to all, and anyone can submit names of anyone who is sick or suffering. 

If you would like to join some or all of our Mantra sessions and receive a daily dose of bliss, then please do join the WhatsApp group where the Zoom link is posted ahead of each session.